Lock.



J. M. ALEXANDER.

LOCK.

APPLICATION EILED SEPT.8. 1915.

1,232, 1 63.. Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. FIG. l.

Snow wow J. M. Alexander w: Nonms PETERS cp.. FliGTO-LITNO.. wAsmNcmN.n. c.

J. M. ALEXANDER.

LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN M. ALEXANDER, OF CROPWELL, ALABAMA.

LOCK.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial No. 49,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cropwell, in the county of St. Clair and State oil? Alabama,have invented new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in look construction.

In carrying out my invention I propose to construct a lock which shallembody few parts, which shall be cheap to manufacture, easily appliedand which will perform its function with accuracy and reliability.

A further object of the invention is to construct a lock comprising acase formed from a single sheet of metal, to provide one of the sides ortacos of the casing with a bolt or staple opening, the other side orface of the casing with a key opening, to arrange within the casing twolocking members or dogs having one of their ends pivoted to the saidcasing, to partially surround the said dogs with a substantiallyU-shaped spring to force the same toward each other, and to arrange overthe dogs and spring a plate which is provided with a bolt as well as akey opening and which normally sustains the securing elements oi thelock in proper position, but prevents opened by other than theauthorized key.

A still -lurther object of the invention is to construct a simple, cheapand eltective lock which may be used in connection with mail sacks, upondoors, closures for boxes and other articles without necessitating anyparticular change in the locking bolt and staple or in the lockconstruction.

With the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth. in thefollowing specification and falling within the scope of the appendedclaim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the improvement applied to an ordinarydoorand casing,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same ar ranged upon the closure of a boxor chest,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the improvement arranged for lockingthe mouth of a mail bag,

Fig. 415 is an enlarged longitudinal secthe loci; beingv tional view a)oroximatel Y on the line ar s.

of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a similar View approximately on the line y -y of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view approximately on the line z-z of Fig. 4,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view approximately on the line a-a of Fig. 4,

Fig. '8 is a view of the blank from which the casing is formed,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the metal strip which is employed whenthe lock is connected tothe door of the shaft, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bolt or lug employed in connectionwith the look.

In carrying out my invention, ll form the casing of my improved lookfrom a single strip of suitable material, the same being provided at itsends and at its edgesfrom the major portion of its length with flangesand all extending in the same direction, the side flanges terminating anequal distance from the center of the casing, so that when the saidblank is bent upon the said central portion, the edges of the flangeswill contact,

and" the central or non-flanged portion is rounded to provide what maybe termed an eye 1, and the members comprising the easing are bolted orotherwise riveted together, thus providing the casing 2 which is oi asubstantially rectangular :t'ormation. One of the sides of the faceprovided with a key opening 3 and the opposite side is provided with alug or staple opening 4. The side provided with the key opening 3 isfurther formed with an outturned depression 5 which is arranged oppositethe lock opening 4, and the purpose of which will presently bedescribed.

Pivotally secured, as at 6-6 to the side of the lock provided with thelock opening a and which for distinction is indicated by the numeral 7,is a pair of longitudinally extending spaced flat locking members ordogs each being indicated by the numeral 8. The numeral 9 designates asubstantially U-shaped spring which has its connecting members arrangedover the pivoted ends of the locking members 8 and its longitudinal armsarranged adjacent the outer edges of the said members 8, the ends of thesaid arms 10 of the spring 8 contacting with the said locking membersadjacent the free ends thereof, and the arms 10 are, of course, adaptedto swing the flat members 9 toward each other. Secured within the casingand overlying the locking members or dogs 8 is a flat partition plate11, the said plate being provided with a bolt opening 12 and beingfurther provided with a lug 18 which is disposed between the inner orengaging edges of the members 8 and which retains the said members inproper spaced relation with each other to permit of the insertion of thebit of the key through the key openings or the insertion of the lugthrough the lug opening.

The numeral l l designates a plate which has arranged thereon asubstantially coneshaped lug 16, and the said lug is provided with slots17 which are adapted to be engaged by the inner edges of the lockingmembers 8 when the lug is passed through the opening 4 between thelocking members 8 and has its pointed end received within the,depression or pocket 5.

The key, employed for spreading the clogs,-

must have its bit fo'rmed with slots which correspond with the shape ofthe key openings in boththe casing and the plate 11 so that the saidmembers cannot be spread apart by any but a key particularly constructedfor the lock which it operates and secured to the side 7 and arranged between the locking members 8, central of the key opening is a pin 19which receives the barrelof the key and guides the bit of the same whenswinging the members 8 to their open position. I

When the device is employed in connection with a mail sack, asillustrated in F i 3, the eye 1 of the casing receives the ring member20 to which is connected a flexible strap 21, and the said strap hassecured to one of its faces the plate 14: carrying the lug 16.

hen the device is employed upon a wooden structure, such as a door, theflexible strap 20 is dispensed with and in lieu thereof a metallic strap22 is employed. This strap is provided with suitable openings 23 throughwhich pass securing elements, and one of its ends is formed with a loop241 which receives the ring member 21, and the said loop may becontinued over the body of the strap and likewise provided with anopening which corresponds with a similar opening in the strap proper,the said openings serving for the passage of additional securingelements.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the simplicity of the device, aswell as the advantages thereofwill, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the artto which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is The hereindescribed construction of locks comprising a casing formed from a singlestrip of metal, bent upon itself to form parallel spaced members, one ofsaid members having side and end flanges which contact with the othermember, connecting means for the members, one of the members having anopening to receive the keeper, a partition plate secured in the casingand having an opening registering with the referred to opening for thekeeper, said partition plate having one of its ends flanged to contactwith one of the members of the casing, said partition plate beingfurther provided with a lug which also contacts with one of the membersof the casing and which is dis posed'away from the opening in thepartition plate and in the casing, longitudinally arranged dogs'havingone of their ends pivoted in the casing and contacting with the oppositeedges of the mentioned lug, whereby to retain the said dogs inparallelism, and a U-shaped spring having. its arms contacting with theouter edges of the dogs at the free ends thereof, and the connectingmember of the spring disposed betweenthe pivoted ends of the dogs andthe referred to flange of the plate, all as and for the purpose setforth.

In testlmony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two w tnesses.

JOHN M. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses: I V

L. E. GARRETT, JAs. M. GARRETT.

5 Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

